The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday life has become increasingly prevalent, and this trend has a significant impact on how children are growing up and learning. When properly guided and educated, children can harness the benefits of AI for learning and personal growth while developing a critical understanding of technology and its implications for society. The impact of growing up with AI on children can be profound and wide-ranging, influencing their development, education, and daily lives.
Growing up with AI can have several positive and negative impacts on children:
Positive impacts:
1. **Enhanced Learning Opportunities:** AI-powered educational tools can provide personalized learning experiences, adapting to each child's pace and style of learning. This can lead to improved academic performance.
2. **Improved Problem-Solving Skills:** Exposure to AI concepts, coding, and robotics from a young age can enhance critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, which are valuable life skills.
3. **Digital Literacy:** Growing up with AI fosters digital literacy. Children become more comfortable using technology and navigating digital interfaces, which is increasingly important in today's world.
4. **Creativity and Innovation:** AI can inspire creativity in children. They can experiment with creating AI-powered projects, such as chatbots or simple AI applications.
5. **Future Job Readiness:** As AI becomes more integrated into various industries, children growing up with AI may have an advantage in future job markets where tech skills are highly sought after.
6. **Access to Information:** AI-powered search engines and virtual assistants make it easier for children to access information and answer their questions, encouraging curiosity and learning.
7. **Customized Educational Content:** AI can adapt content to a child's skill level and interests, making learning more engaging and tailored to their needs.
8. **Assistance for Special Needs:** AI technologies, including speech recognition and assistive devices, can provide valuable support for children with disabilities, helping them communicate and learn more effectively.
9. **Language Learning:** AI-powered language learning apps and tools can assist children in learning new languages more efficiently and with better pronunciation.
10. **Fun and Interactive Toys:** AI-driven toys and games can provide interactive and educational experiences, combining play with learning.
11. **Early Exposure to Technology:** Familiarity with technology and AI from a young age can demystify these concepts, making children more confident users of digital tools.
12. **Environmental Awareness:** AI can be used to educate children about environmental issues and solutions, fostering an early sense of environmental responsibility.
13. **Enhanced Entertainment:** AI can create personalized entertainment experiences, recommending books, music, and movies based on a child's preferences.
14. **Inclusive Learning:** AI can help bridge educational gaps by providing additional support and resources to children who may need extra assistance.
15. **STEM Interest:** Exposure to AI can spark an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, encouraging children, particularly girls, to pursue careers in these areas.
Growing up with AI can also bring about certain negative impacts for children. It's important to be aware of these potential drawbacks and take steps to mitigate them:
1. **Reduced Physical Activity:** Excessive screen time, including interactions with AI-powered devices, can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to health issues like obesity.
2. **Digital Addiction:** Children might become overly dependent on AI devices and screen-based entertainment, leading to digital addiction and withdrawal symptoms when they are without screens.
3. **Privacy Concerns:** Children may not fully understand the concept of privacy online, potentially oversharing personal information or engaging with risky online behavior.
4. **Loss of Human Interaction:** Overuse of AI devices can reduce face-to-face social interactions, which are crucial for social development and building interpersonal skills.
5. **Impersonal Learning:** While AI can personalize education, it may also depersonalize learning experiences if children rely too heavily on AI tutors or educational apps instead of human teachers and mentors.
6. **Inequality and Access:** Not all children have equal access to AI technology, which can exacerbate educational and economic disparities.
7. **Dependency on Virtual Assistants:** Children who rely heavily on virtual assistants for information and problem-solving might not develop strong information retrieval and critical-thinking skills.
8. **Content Exposure:** Children might encounter inappropriate or harmful content online, even if AI filters are in place. This can lead to distress or exposure to age-inappropriate material.
9. **Eroding Creativity:** Excessive consumption of AI-generated content, such as videos and music, might limit a child's creative thinking and originality.
10. **Ethical Considerations:** Children may not fully grasp the ethical implications of AI, including issues related to bias, privacy, and the responsible use of technology.
11. **Tech Dependence:** Overreliance on AI devices for everyday tasks, from math calculations to decision-making, may hinder a child's ability to think independently.
12. **Security Risks:** Children may inadvertently expose their families to security risks by interacting with AI devices that are connected to the internet.
To mitigate these potential negative impacts, parents and educators should provide guidance, set boundaries on screen time, promote a balance between tech use and other activities, and educate children about responsible and safe online behavior. Additionally, staying informed about the technology children are using and fostering open communication can help address these challenges effectively.
A 2019 study conducted by DataChildFutures found that 46% of participating Italian households had AI-powered speakers, while 40% of toys were connected to the internet.
As younger generations grow up interacting with AI-enabled devices, more consideration should be given to the impact of this technology on children, their rights and wellbeing. Estimates suggest that, by 2065, 65% of children in primary school today will work in positions that have not yet been created. From a practical standpoint, AI should be incorporated into school curricula to equip future generations with coding skills and provide them with adequate AI training.
By 2030 students will be learning from robot teachers 10 times faster than today
With such broad potential for use in the education system, forecasts by Global Market Insights suggest that the market value of AI in education will reach $20 billion by 2027.
In March 2019, the DQ Global Standards Report 2019 was launched – the first attempt to define a global standard for digital literacy, skills and readiness across the education and technology sectors.
If you would like to read more:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/artificial-intelligence-children-technology/
The Future of Jobs and Skills report:
https://reports.weforum.org/future-of-jobs-2016/chapter-1-the-future-of-jobs-and-skills/
https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020
Growing up with AI can be a positive experience for children, but it requires proactive parental guidance and education. By fostering responsible tech use and providing a strong foundation in digital literacy and ethics, parents and educators can help children navigate the digital world safely and effectively.
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Samira Gholizadeh
Mechanical & Materials Scientist
Machine Learning Engineer
University of Cape Town
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